Guest Editorial

BSU Students Striving for Greatness

By Kirk W. Pressley, Jr.

President, BSU Student Government Association

Greetings:

            It gives me great pleasure to address the Bowie State University community and the Bulldogs of our great Bulldog Nation. I am Kirk W. Pressley, Jr., Student Government Association President at Bowie State University. During the recent Spring Convocation I delivered my speech with the goal of empowering students and the Bowie State community.  "Who amongst us are the next trailblazers and history makers? Who amongst us are the next Black Presidents and Black Social Secretaries? Who amongst us are the next Olympians and Media Moguls? Is it Terrance Pete, one of our star athletes and new student orientation leaders? Is it Ameer-Hasaan Walton, a Junior Ra to the Freshman Males in Haley Hall? Is it Matthew Riley, a rising leader amongst the men on campus and chief of staff to Mr. Bowie? Is it Alexander Payton, an athlete SAAC member and Junior Class executive board member? Is it Kianna Thomas, a social work major who is a community desk assistant in Christa McAuliffe Residential Complex who sets the standard as a woman of God and a Bowie woman? Is it Joshua Jackson, a member of Omega Psi Phi who sets the standard for Bowie men and has demonstrated that if you work hard you can play hard? Is it Devin Collins, a master of words and creative techniques who has taken the entertainment on our campus to the next level? Or is it Georges Rousseau, a Bowie Ambassador for Haiti who is empowered us to give back, and salute his country in its time of need. I believe that it is all of us who are seated in the audience today and those students who plant seeds of success in order to grow a tree of Excellence rooted in accountability that swings on the branches of integrity that lie in the shadow of diversity and fall into the soil of civility. I have dedicated this year to uplifting other students and supporting the talents and dreams of the students that I serve, as well as my Vice President Nayonna Wright, who continues to build upon new and emerging leaders and my executive board that has set the tone for leadership and advocacy on Bowie State University's campus.

            Bowie State University not only provides students academic access that would not be available at other institutions but also leadership training and life lessons that help mold students into Student Government President like me, and places them in the position to ultimately access/achieve their dreams and goals. I challenge the students of Bowie State University to access their  right to grow, succeed and develop the leader in them; to help change and cultivate the HBCU so that we can hold on to our relevance and our culture for service and our tradition of developing our African American brothers and sisters. During the We Run This Campaign the students of Bowie State University came together to help produce the change that they wanted to see on campus. This was an excellent display of how the student body serves as the backbone of our Institution {because without it we would not be able to stand on our own two feet.)

            Throughout this year, school spirit and campus morale has been taken to the next level by students who have led by example and committed service to excellence. We cheered our football team on to a Championship and cheered our track team to achieve victory after victory. We cheered our bowling team as they struck out and brought home win after win. We cheered as our volleyball team battled it out game after game. We cheered as our softball team brought home the championship for the third year in a row.  We cheered our Men's and Women's basketball teams as they battled it out at the CIAA. We cheered Mr. Bowie State University and Miss Bowie State University as they showcased their skills and talents, and we also cheered our Honda Campus All-Star team on as they excelled and brought home first place in the Preliminary National Competition at Fayetteville State. Through these many accomplishments we were supported by the Symphony of Soul, dancing divas, golden girls, angry fans, Student Government Association, University Cabinet and the students of Bowie State University. Divided we would have fallen but together we became a powerful force that is not to be messed with and that had to be taken seriously 

We are the future of Bowie State University and we hold all the keys to the doors of success. We have come from diverse backgrounds--different countries, cites, towns, and states, but we continue to strive for one goal: "A Better Us, A Better You, A Better BSU! Taking Bowie State University to the next level".